Piyush Chawla      

Full name Piyush Pramod Chawla

Born December 24, 1988, Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh

Current age 20 years 321 days

Major teams India, Air India, India Green, India Under-19s, Kings XI Punjab, Rajasthan Cricket Association President's XI, Sussex, Uttar Pradesh

Playing role All-rounder

Batting style Left-hand bat

Bowling style Legbreak

Piyush Chawla is one for early impact. As a 15-year-old he represented India Under-19 and Uttar Pradesh U-22. Before he made his first-class debut, at 17, he had already bowled Sachin Tendulkar with a googly in a Challenger Series match. In his first first-class season, he took 35 wickets and scored 224 runs to help UP win their first Ranji Trophy. In his teens he played two Test matches too, against England and South Africa. He took three wickets on ODI debut in Bangladesh in 2007, and 14 during India's tour of Ireland and England the same year, often troubling Kevin Pietersen with the googlies and the straighter ones.

Chawla is a legspinner who has amazing control and variations, but can do with a bigger stock legbreak to make the other aspects of his bowling more effective. He has not been able to make himself a permanent place in the Indian team so far, losing out to a more conventional legspinner Amit Mishra after Anil Kumble retired from Tests. He stayed closer to the ODI team, also helped by an impressive performance in the first IPL. But after an ordinary Asia Cup in Pakistan in 2008, he was sent back to domestic cricket to work on his game.
Cricinfo Staff January 2009

May 9, 2009

Piyush Chawla hit the first ball of the final over for four

© Associated Press

Apr 29, 2009

Lasith Malinga celebrates after cleaning up Piyush Chawla

© Associated Press

Apr 26, 2009

Piyush Chawla celebrates Yusuf Pathan's wicket

© AFP

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